Ten tough questions for start of Seahawks’ camp

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With the first practice of the 2010 training camp coming up Saturday, here are 10 questions facing the Seahawks as they prepare to open the Pete Carroll era:

1) New Pete or re-Pete?

The most-obvious reason for optimism for Seahawks fans is the arrival of Carroll and a revamped front office in the wake of 4-12 and 5-11 seasons.

Pete Carroll opens his first training camp with the Seahawks on Saturday. (AP photo/Ted S. Warren)

Were Jim Mora preparing for a second go-round, we’d be spending a lot of time pondering “dirtbag” jokes and wondering if anything was going to be different. Instead, here comes the sweeping change of Carroll and his “Win Forever” philosophy built on increased competition at every position on the field.

Let’s be honest though. Every coach believes in competition and wants as many good players as possible. Carroll rode that philosophy to big success at USC, where he could outrecruit other programs. In an NFL where the playing field is far more level, he’ll need to outcoach opponents as well because every team has fairly equal talent.

He says he’s learned a ton since his previous head coaching stints with the Jets and Patriots back in the ’90s, finding out more about himself and his philosophies. He wants to be in charge of the whole show and it’ll be interesting — with Todd Leiweke moving on — if he gains even more in the Seahawks’ power structure.

But bottom line, lots of very good college coaches have struggled in the pro ranks and it’s going to take Carroll time to get the right players to win big in Seattle. He went 33-31 with the Jets and Pats after taking over far-more talented teams (NY went 8-8 before he took over in 1994 and went 6-10 and New England was 11-5 and went to the Super Bowl in ’96 before he replaced Bill Parcells).

So yeah, lots of eyes will be on the Seahawks head coach. Nationally because he’s the guy who won three national titles at USC and then left just before the NCAA sanctions fell. And locally because, well, Seattle fans aren’t even worried about Winning Forever.

They’d just like to win this year.

2) Who wins the QB derby?

And, no, I’m not referring to any big competition between Matt Hasselbeck and Charlie Whitehurst because I don’t think that one is really an issue.

The question to me is whether Whitehurst will beat out former Bills starter J.P. Losman for the backup duties during the preseason. Both Whitehurst and Losman have big arms. The question is whether they can play smart enough in games and not force balls into coverage and avoid critical turnovers.

If Hasselbeck stays healthy — and that is a big ‘if’ given the past two seasons — he’ll be the guy. Carroll and company are no fools. They need to win as many games as possible and Hasselbeck’s experience gives them the best chance to do that.

But sooner or later, most NFL teams need their backup to win some games and this camp will be a lot about finding out whether Whitehurst or Losman can be that guy this season and possibly the longer-term solution next year after Hasselbeck’s contract expires.

3) Can you feel the rush?

A year ago there were four teams in the NFL with fewer sacks than Seattle’s 28. All four (Jacksonville, Kansas City, St. Louis, Detroit) all finished last in their division.

Chris Clemons

Carroll and new GM John Schneider quickly realized they needed speed off the edge to fix that Achilles’ heel, but it was one area they couldn’t address strongly in the draft.

After letting Patrick Kerney retire and trading Darryl Tapp and Cory Redding, they’ve brought in a trio of smallish rush ends in Chris Clemons, Rickey Foley and seventh-round draft pick Dexter Davis to join returnee Nick Reed, while talking also of using linebacker Aaron Curry more in that role opposite Lawrence Jackson.

All those speed guys are in the 250-pound range, however, and will struggle in every-down situations. Clemons was getting a strong look during the offseason workouts and is an intriguing athlete, but at 240 pounds he’s started just three games in his seven-year NFL career, so it will be interesting to see how that one plays out.

4) Are you seeing Red?

That lack of size among the speed-rush candidates is why the Seahawks are experimenting with using 323-pound defensive tackle Red Bryant at end in non-passing situations.

The big kid from Texas A&M has barely seen the field in his first two seasons in Seattle, but appeared invigorated by the move outside during minicamp drills. Will he continue to look that agile and aggressive when the pads come on and the heat turns up? Stay tuned?

5) How ready are the kids?

Carroll has no hesitation in throwing young players into the mix and seeing how they hold up. But as good as first-round picks Russell Okung and Earl Thomas might be over the long haul, they’ll have considerable growing pains in the process.

Russell Okung

Curry struggled last year at linebacker and he’s an exceptional talent. Heck, I remember Cortez Kennedy looking overwhelmed at times his rookie season years ago and he turned out OK. But it takes time to learn the ropes and the NFL isn’t kind to kids.

Okung steps in at one of the toughest spots imaginable at left tackle, where he’ll face the league’s premier rushers week after week. Thomas, who just turned 21, is a wonderfully gifted athlete, but he’s going to get caught out of position at times at free safety.

I still think Golden Tate might wind up looking like the best of the rookie bunch right off the bat because a) he’s a marvelous big-play talent and b) wide receiver is a position where mistakes aren’t nearly as noticeable.

6) Who’s carrying the rock?

The competition isn’t quite as deep with the departure of LenDale White, but it remains to be seen how the running game is divvied up among Justin Forsett, Julius Jones, Leon Washington, Quinton Ganther and Louis Rankin.

My money is on Forsett to emerge as the perfect guy in the zone-blocking scheme with his vision and cut-back ability, but don’t count Jones out as part of the puzzle. And if Washington returns to full strength from a badly broken leg — which is one of the real big question marks to watch — he could be the real X factor this season.

Former USC star Mike Williams, who has been out of the NFL since 2007, could be an intriguing prospect as a big target in the new offense. (AP photo/Elaine Thompson)

Instead, they stuck with drafting Tate and bringing in some recycled projects like Mike and Reggie Williams and ex-Husky QB Isaiah Stanback. Reggie Williams already washed out, but Mike Williams is worth watching as a big target and Tate will be a big-play man despite his small stature.

The real questions are whether T.J. Houshmandzadeh can live up to his own lofty expectations, whether Deion Branch really has a spot in Jeremy Bates’ offense, if young Deon Butler can emerge and how long it’ll take Tate and Williams to assume large chunks of playing time?

I’ve liked what I’ve seen from waiver wire pickup Kole Heckendorf in the offseason work as well, but with 12 receivers coming to camp, that’s a position that is going to be crowded with candidates.

The Seahawks kept five receivers on their opening 53-man roster last year — Housh, Branch, Butler, Burleson and Ben Obomanu. That means guys like Isaiah Stanback, Ruvell Martin, Mike Hass, Heckendorft and special teamer Sean Morey are fighting some tough odds.

8) Where’s Pitts fit?

Seattle signed veteran guard Chester Pitts on Thursday, an interesting move given he was a seven-year starter at Houston and a veteran of coach Alex Gibbs’ zone-blocking scheme. But the 31-year-old is coming off microfracture knee surgery and competing at a spot where the Seahawks already signed Ben Hamilton and have up-and-coming second-year man Max Unger.

Lots of things can happen over the course of a preseason, however, including injuries and frustrations if things don’t come along as planned. So Pitts’ presence is worth watching. If the 310-pounder truly is back to full health, it will provide better interior line depth at a minimum … and the ability to move Unger to center if Chris Spencer struggles or gets injured again at the maximum.

9) Where is the biggest hope for improvement?

The Seahawks ranked 30th in the league in pass defense last year, largely because of the lack of rush (see No. 3 earlier), but also because of some injury woes. That’s why two of the most critical players to watch this preseason are cornerback Marcus Trufant and middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

Marcus Trufant

Both are former Pro Bowl players the Seahawks desperately need to return near the top of their games. Trufant missed the first half of last season with a back injury and wasn’t the same guy when he returned. Tatupu sat out the final 11 games with a torn pectoral muscle and his absence was felt acutely by Curry and the entire defense, despite the strong individual play of replacement David Hawthorne.

I expect Curry to have a much bigger impact this season with added experience and a better understanding of the coaching staff on how to deploy his athleticism. And the rookie Thomas is a much-needed playmaker in the secondary who could really make a difference in time.

10) Who should I watch at camp?

If you’re able to get out to the VMAC in the next few weeks to enjoy a day on the sidelines, try to get close enough to the offensive line workouts to hear gruff old assistant coach Alex Gibbs work out his troops. Though you might want to bring ear-muffs for the kids.

You won’t need to get too close to hear new linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr., who has nearly as intimidating presence as his pops, the former heavyweight champ.

Training camp is a chance to see the players up close. Here’s center Chris Spencer walking with his son after a practice session during offseason workouts at the VMAC center. (AP photo/Ted S. Warren)

Watch the one-on-one blocking drills with the offensive and defensive line when they break off into their groups while the skill players are off doing passing drills elsewhere. That’s a great way to see the big boys actually working in the trenches and it’s often the best action of the day.

If you get lucky, you might catch a practice when the linebackers take on the running backs in the same kind of drills, which is a chance to see a guy like Aaron Curry smash into Justin Forsett at full speed on a blitz. And, yeah, little Forsett more than holds his own in those drills.

One-on-one battles between wide receivers and defensive backs are interesting as well, though that’s a tough spot for DBs when the receivers have all kinds of time and room to make their moves.

And the highlight of every practice is when the full squad gathers at several points for full 11-on-11 “team” drills, as close to live scrimmage as you’ll find. Carroll let his players get fairly physical even in the no-pads offseason work, so it’ll be interesting to see how much hitting goes on in camp.

Carroll emphasizes high energy practices with lots of coaches yelling and players rallying to the ball trying to knock it loose at every opportunity. How veteran players respond to that style over the course of long, hot two-a-day practices bears watching as well.

And, yes, there are still openings for fans who want to come watch. You can register at seahawks.com for the 15 public practices, or show up at Husky Stadium on Aug. 8 for the one workout open that is open to any and all comers with no advance notice.